The South of Armenia is a collection of cave cities and evidence of ruined civilizations. Here you’ll find monasteries hidden away in valleys or standing tall on cliffs. It also has the oldest evidence of wine-making in the world, as well as a continued tradition in several different wine regions today. On top of all that, there are spa towns, ski towns, waterfalls, and hot springs. You don’t need a ton of time to see it all, but more time can definitely be spent well here. The south can be explored by local bus, taxi, rental car, or hitchhiking. A remarkably safe country, Armenia has a very positive view of hitchhiking. So try it out if you don’t have wheels somewhere, and if you do, maybe consider picking up that lost-looking tourist on the side of the road.
Goris
Many Armenian locals told me Goris was their favourite city in Armenia, and it is easy to see why. This is a small place that has all the amenities of a decent size city, whilst still maintaining a small-town vibe in the mountains. The town is full of cafes and local restaurants where the people take pride in their cooking, vodka, and hospitality. Hikes, lakes and vistas are found in plenty in the hills surrounding the city. This is a place to get lost for a bit and feel Armenia as the locals do.
Cafe Tur Baza For A View Of Ancient Goris
The food is okay but incredibly cheap. The true highlight of this place is the unparalleled view of Ancient Goris across the gorge. Try to get one of the seats by the balcony so you can appreciate the church, cave dwellings, and the crisscross pathways weaving in and out of this ancient city buried in the mountainside.
Garden Restaurant At Hotel Vivas
This was my favorite restaurant in Goris. Several individually covered tables are scattered about a beer garden on the hillside, hidden away behind walls in the heart of downtown Goris. Try the homemade mulberry vodka if you are up for something with a kick and definitely don’t miss out on the tolma made fresh. The highlight, for sure, is the fresh BBQ cooked right there in the garden. Pork, lamb, chicken, beef, and various innards are skewered and cooked over open coals. I recommend getting a few as you pay by the stick.
Ancient Khndzoresk And The Hanging Bridge
Khndzoresk is an ancient cave city in southern Armenia outside of Goris. The most amazing part of this civilization is that it was actually still occupied up until 80 years ago. Khndzoresk was an active village of cave-dwelling Armenians well into the 20th century. Getting here is a bit of a challenge, so get a 4×4 taxi from Goris or make sure to have some clearance in your rental car before heading out. Once at the car park on the western side of the gorge, climb down the stairs and cross the hanging bridge 65 meters above the river to get to the trails climbing through the village.
Tatev Monastery
Tatev Monastery is the number one destination in southern Armenia. You can get there by car, taxi, bus, or hitchhiking. The main thrill of this place is the ride along the longest reversible cable car in the world. It spans two river valleys to reach the monastery perched on the cliff’s edge. This 5km+ ride through the air gives unparalleled views of the magnificent gorge, natural bridge, ruins, ancient forts, and scenery below. Upon reaching the monastery, make sure to explore all of the underground tunnels. The monastery itself will probably feel very familiar after all the ones you have seen so far in Armenia, but the setting really cannot be beaten.
Karahunj Stonehenge
Karahunj Stonehenge is an ancient stone calendar set on top of a hill in the middle of some of the most beautiful territories of the country. I can’t say that the ruins rival that of the original mighty Stonehenge in England, but this is a worthy roadside attraction right on your path to or from Goris. Take a stop here to admire the scenery, wildflowers, and the history that goes into one of the oldest countries on the planet.
Jermuk Waterfall
A really cool history and myth accompanies this waterfall that is set in the depths of the gorge that separates east and west Jermuk. The story involves a Rapunsel-esqe fairy tale of princesses, commoners, love and evil curses. The walk along the bottom of the river gorge is also well worth it. If possible, leave the car up in town and do the walk. There are two ways to reach the bottom of the gorge — a terrifying 300-step rusted iron staircase going straight down with no turns or breaks. The other will be an easy stroll through the verdant jungle, under a natural stone archway and past a few ruins.
Mineral Water Gallery
This is the main site of Jermuk Town and is the meeting point in the evenings when the heat of the day starts to fade. A couple of large ponds or small lakes sit on the west side of town and an ancient hot spring renewed into a really lovely arched gallery is carved out of the mountain side. Here, several springs of various temperatures run out of the mountain into large clay vessels. Vendors nearby have taken to selling cups and tea bags, coffee sachets, and hot chocolate drops that you can brew with the hot spring water.
Jermuk Sanitarium
A weird experience for sure, but one to consider. Several ex-Soviet hospitals turned into health spas sit alongside the gorge cliffs of Jermuk. Here, a night in a room includes food as well as various health treatments ranging from totally benign to downright weird. Paraffin wraps, ultrasound therapy, massage, mineral baths, oxygen cocktails, inhalation therapy and many more are on the agenda. My favorite was called “four chamber galvanic baths” which involved a homemade torture-looking device that had four tubs of water with various wires running from an amp meter. Basically, they electrocuted you through water…but in a nice way.
Areni Cave
A must-do on the road trip to the south, Areni Wine Cave is the site of the oldest known history of wine on the planet. 5,000-year-old qveris, giant clay wine casks for ageing and fermenting, were found in this cave. Additionally, the oldest leather shoe in the world was excavated here. The nearby village of Areni has maintained this tradition of grape cultivation and is one of the most popular wine regions in the country.
Noravank Monastery
Noravank is another wonderful monastery that should be on every itinerary. The views of the place are the main reason to visit, although the chambers of the main sanctuary are downright haunting. Natural light alone makes these cavern-like rooms look like something out of an Indian Jones movie. Make sure to hike out along the northern side of the monastery for just a few minutes to get a view of the whole complex from above.
Areni Wine Winery
Probably my favorite wine-tasting/tour/experience in the country. “Areni wine winery” was a wonderful way to get introduced to the region’s offerings. The owners do not speak English but are happy to share and explain in Russian. Otherwise, they will call one of the sons to drive over and walk you through their history, labels, and a full tasting for free. There was no pressure to buy, but we enjoyed it so much that we left with their dry red reserve, a bottle of blackberry wine, and the mulberry vodka. The total price for two tastings of 7 wines, 3 vodkas, 2 bottles to go, and a half litre of mulberry vodka for 11,000 drams was about USD$27.
Areni Wine Factory (Different To Above)
Areni Wine Factory (which is different from Areni Wine Winery) is the largest distributor in the region and has a fairly commercial setup. They have around 6-8 regular wines, 4-5 fruit wines, an apricot brandy, and 4 vodkas made from different fruits available to try. A tasting of any 3 is free. A tasting of as many as you want is 1,000 dram or about USD$2.50. I highly suggest the raspberry wine, dry white, and peach vodka, but try them all if you aren’t driving anywhere.
Ar Areni Restaurant
Ar Areni was definitely the most local experience after three wineries in the Areni Valley. Depending on when you go, your guide will be a different member of the extended family that works at the restaurant/winery. Order your dinner and then wander downstairs for a tour of the basement wine cellar and a tasting of all they have on offer. Tastings depend on what is out at that time, so it will be different but expect generous pours of several wines as well as a few things stronger. For dinner, don’t miss out on the tolma, stuffed grape leaves, made fresh every day according to Mama’s recipe. The BBQ potatoes cooked with slices of pork fat are ridiculously decadent as well. As expected, everything goes well with local wine.
Khor Virap
Probably the number one recommendation for a detour out of Yerevan, Khor Virap is a famous monastery with some great history and better views. If you have the option, wait to go out here when the skies are completely blue. There are two reasons to visit. One is to see the chamber below the church where St. Gregor the Illuminator was held captive. The second is to see the monastery complex with clear views of Mount Ararat in the background.
“Discover caves and ancient civilisations on Armenia’s southern loop” by Creed Evans was originally published on Wanderdash (follow Creed @creedevans)